THE family of a seven-year-old girl left brain damaged by a life-threatening disease say they will be homeless in three weeks if they do not get help.

Weymouth schoolgirl Ellie Hills, whose life was saved after Portland Coastguard rescue heroes battled treacherous blizzard conditions to airlift her to a specialist children’s unit in Southampton, overcame the odds to survive this Christmas.

The youngster, who is still receiving treatment at Dorset County Hospital, has now returned to morning lessons at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School and is recuperating at home in Westham.

Her mother Lucy Hills said Ellie has been left brain damaged by a potentially deadly meningitis strain – Meningococcal Septicemia – and requires constant care as she relearns speech, communication and mobility skills.

In a new blow to hit the family, their landlord has put the house up for sale and they cannot find anywhere suitable to live with wheelchair-bound Ellie.

With the countdown on to move out by March 10, Ms Hills, her four children Ellie, aged seven, Abigail, five, Logan, four, and Bailey, one, and fiancé Michael Walbridge are growing increasingly desperate.

Ms Hills said: “We’ve got three weeks until we have to move out, we’re going to be homeless and the council’s not helping us at all.

“No council houses are available so I’m trying to find a private rent property myself but I can’t find anywhere suitable in Weymouth. The council say there’s nothing they can do, it seems that Ellie being disabled and brain damaged is not a good enough reason.

“They want us to go the route of having bailiffs remove us from this house.

“We’ve got so much else to worry about with Ellie’s treatment and making sure she’s getting better, yet she can sense I’m stressed and it’s not fair.

“I rent privately at the moment but I get help with my rent because I’m not working. I’ve approached some landlords and they say they won’t take housing benefit. It’s really frustrating because people who have abused the system have ruined it for people like us who want to keep a nice home and to pay our rent on time.”

Mr Walbridge is about to start work as an arcade assistant at the Sea View Holiday Park in Weymouth.

Ms Hills added: “We can’t be too fussy about where we go, we need something very urgently. I’m very upset our landlord is selling but there’s not a lot I can do about it. The housing advice centre is not being very considerate.”

A Weymouth and Portland Borough Council spokesman said: “The Council’s Housing team appreciates the difficulty of these circumstances and is actively working to find suitable accommodation for the family in the given time frame.”

* THE family, which currently pays £795 a month private rent, is looking for a three-bed house to rent privately.

They have been told that no council houses are available but have found the only suitable private properties to rent have landlords who refuse to take tenants on benefits.

This year was the second time Ellie has spent Christmas on a life support machine as she was previously struck down with Guillain–Barré syndrome, which attacks the immune system.

Ms Hills said they would have to make minor alterations to any house they rent to make it suitable for disabled Ellie.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact the Dorset Echo on 01305 830984.